UFC 139 Results: Michael McDonald Is Destined for Greatness

It took Michael McDonald just 56 seconds to knockout promotional newcomer Alex Soto.

And in that less than a minute's worth of action, McDonald went from being a 20-year-old phenom, to a legitimate force in the UFC's bantamweight division.

For those fans who were unaware of this talented, rising star, they were treated to a Knockout of the Night performance on the preliminary card aired on Spike TV—McDonald's first televised appearance as a member of the UFC.

Now 3-0 in the UFC and 13-1 overall, McDonald has many forces behind him that almost certainly make him destined for greatness.

Looking at his record, McDonald has won all but one of his matches, a loss to former WEC Featherweight champion Cole Escovedo that he avenged in 2010 to take the Taichi Palace Fights bantamweight crown.

In all but two of his victories, McDonald has either knocked out or submitted each of his opponents, 11 times in the first round.

The UFC's youngest fighter has a devastating combination of heavy hands and vicious submissions.  McDonald has a propensity to use arm attacks, most recently submitting Clint Godfrey with an armbar in his Zuffa debut at WEC 52.

What is most astounding about McDonald is that he is only 20 years old.  

He began his mixed martial arts training at the age of 14 and within two years became a professional fighter.  

Showcasing an already impressive skill set, he can only grow even better as time goes on.  Looking at simply his youth and dominance in the cage, one can see similarities between McDonald and current UFC Light-Heavyweight champion Jon Jones.

Jones became the youngest UFC champion at the age of 23 when he defeated Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in March.  It may be too early to give McDonald a shot at current UFC Bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, but giving him a big name like a Brian Bowles or a Miguel Torres, may catapult him to stardom like Jones.

It is easy to see why there is so much hype around this young fighter and, with continued success, there should be nothing to prevent McDonald from a future as a UFC champion.

Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 139. B/R is your home for complete coverage of the November 19 fight card, including results and post-fight analysis.

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